Last Friday and Saturday were busy days for the Great Bend Fire Department, Fire Chief Mike Napolitano reported.
At 4:09 p.m. Friday, units responded to 2545 19th St., where a small patch of grass was being burned behind the house. Napolitano said burning is not allowed in the city and a warning citation was issued.
At 8:39 p.m. Friday, a 911 call sent firefighters to 1603 Morton St., where fire was coming from the engine and passenger compartments of a 1982 Chevy pickup parked in a driveway near the garage. The truck was being worked on and a new carburetor was being adjusted when the fuel sprayed out of the back of the carburetor, struck the coil and ignited. The fire grew quickly and the pickup was a total loss.
Saturday morning, at 11:24 a.m., GBFD provided mutual aid to the Hoisington Fire Department, for a grass fire at Barton Hills.
At 1:32 p.m. units responded to another report of a grass fire in the 300 block of SW 50 Ave. This time it was a controlled burn.
At 2:16 p.m. units responded to a call from the power company working at SE 40 Road and SE 60 Ave. They were working on some power lines and arcing caused the grass to catch fire. There was a small ditch fire and some corn stubble burning.
At 8:12 p.m. a natural gas smell was reported at 1300 Stone St. Nothing was found.
GBFD also made seven ambulance runs Thursday, 12 Friday, two Saturday and two Sunday.
Other fire departments in the county may also have responded to fire calls. The Barton County Sheriff’s Office call log shows grass fires were reported at 9:59 a.m. Saturday at Barton County Road and NW 110 Ave., and a 11:28 a.m. in the 40 block of Cheyenne Ridge Road. There was a yard fire reported at 12:36 p.m. at 966 NW 70 Road.
The call log shows the grass fire reported by the power company being at SE 60 Road and SE 40 Ave.